Tic Tock
by Alyssa86InMN
Summary: Around Hannah's 10th birthday, she starts exhibiting things that cause Zoe to worry and Dan to wonder.
1. Party Talk

Author's Note: This takes place in (the future) season 3 or 4.  
  
"Dan, what do you want for breakfast? We've got Cocoa Puffs, Cheerios, Rice Krispies or Lucky Charms." Zoe asked the man she had, in the past few months, become very close to, and even loved.  
  
"I've been coming over every morning for awhile now and all I have is coffee, what makes you think it's going to change now?" Dan asked, looking from his paper to stare at the woman he had loved for nearly three years.  
  
"It doesn't hurt to ask." Zoe said defensively, taking a seat next to Dan, bringing two cups of coffee for them to drink.  
  
Dan took the mug that had been designated as his over the months and gave Zoe a smile. She smiled back and lovingly squeezed his hand.  
  
"Hello, Dan." Hannah greeted, as she took a seat across from him.  
  
"Hello, Hannah." Dan responded, with a smile.  
  
Zoe got up and asked. "So, Hannah, what would you like for breakfast?"  
  
"Lucky Charms, please!" Hannah exclaimed, flashing a big smile.  
  
"How has school been going, Hannah?" Dan asked, taking a sip of coffee, before focusing on the little girl's response.  
  
"I got all of my spelling words right." She said proudly.  
  
"Good job!" He commended.  
  
Zoe set a bowl in front of Hannah along with the cereal box and milk, before taking a seat again next to Dan.  
  
"Hannah do you have something in your eye?" Dan asked.  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"You keep blinking. I was just wondering if maybe you had something in your eye."  
  
"It could be allergies." Zoe mentioned, "I've noticed she's been doing that for awhile now."  
  
"Yeah, maybe." Dan agreed, as the topic was set aside and he continued to read the paper.  
  
A few minutes passed by before Zoe asked Hannah, "What do you want to do for your birthday party this year? A girl only turns 10 once, after all."  
  
"Can I have a sleepover?' Hannah asked, getting excited.  
  
"How many people are we talking here?"  
  
"Just Tessa, Emily, Chloe, Sarah, Julia, Megan..."  
  
"Just? How about you limit it to five or six, unless Dan doesn't mind helping out then you can maybe have seven." Zoe stated, glancing over at Dan, who had looked away from his paper.  
  
Hannah smiled at Dan, sweetly before asking, "Will you? Please?"  
  
Dan looked at the little girl whose smile melted his heart; she had this way about her that reminded him of her aunt and that was the reason he wasn't able to say no.

* * *

"I don't know how I got myself into this." Dan sighed while doing dishes as Zoe decorated the birthday cake.  
  
"Oh come on, you know you love it." Zoe said, as she finished writing "Happy Birthday".  
  
"So how many are coming?"  
  
"Um, let's see, there's Sarah, Tessa, Megan, Julia, Chloe and Logan, Emily wasn't able to come."  
  
"Logan? You are letting her have a boy over?"  
  
"No, Logan is actually a girl." Zoe said, looking up from the cake to face Dan, "I hadn't realized it became a unisex name until I met her though."  
  
"Didn't you say Cliff and Taylor were staying the night at friends houses?"  
  
"Yeah, I can't blame them, either, seven 10 year old girls, yikes, I don't think I would have been able to handle it if you weren't here."  
  
"Ah, yes, the knight in shining armor with dishpan hands." Dan stated holding up his soapy hands. 


	2. Royalty & Romance

**Author's Note: Sorry this is so short, I just have been really busy and wanted everyone to know I hadn't forgotten about this one**

"Aunt Zoe, can we watch a movie?"

"Sure, I rented The Princess Diaries, The Prince and Me and You've Got Mail."

"You've Got Mail?" Dan questioned with a smirk, "That doesn't fit with the royal theme."

"I know I got that for myself." Zoe said, humbly smiled. "I'll watch that later though. What are you going to watch first, girls?"

"The Princess Diaries!" was the unanimous response.

"Alright, The Princess Diaries it is!" Zoe exclaimed, popping the tape into the VCR. "Do you guys want some popcorn? I'll make a few bags."

"Yeah!" was the simple but direct answer.

"Come on Dan, you can help me." Zoe said, grabbing his hand and dragging him into the kitchen.

"I guess I don't have any choice then."

Zoe led Dan to the kitchen island and made him sit on a stool. Zoe threw a bag into the microwave and stood across from Dan.

"Why do you have that sparkle in your eye, Dan Lennox? You get lucky or something?" Zoe kidded.

"No, it's only there because I'm looking at you."

"Is that your idea of flattery?"

"Well..."

"Because it's working." Zoe interrupted, giving him a wink before turning her back to him.

* * *

"Hannah I can't hear the movie." Tessa stated. 

"Then turn it up."

"Will you stop making those noises?"

"What noises?" Hannah asked innocently.

"The 'mmm' noise." Logan piped in.

"I can't help it."

"How is everything going girls? Have you finished off that popcorn yet?" Zoe asked, as she entered from another room.

"I can't hear the movie, Hannah keeps making funny noises."

"Hannah, you know that's rude."

"I can't help it, Aunt Zoe!" she almost yelled in her own defense.


	3. M&M's and Doctors

"Dan, I'm worried about Hannah. This is definitely not allergies, it has to be something more." Zoe said, in her typical motherly tone, as she paced the kitchen.

"I'm sure it's nothing. You are just overreacting again." Dan responded, eating a handful of M&M's.

"Excuse me? I do not overreact."

Dan laughed, nearly choking on the candy. "Remember that time I took Cliff and Hannah to a baseball game? I was stuck in traffic on the way back and you were close to ripping the hair out of your head when I got back."

"You could have at least called." Zoe said. "That isn't even the point though. I am really concerned."

"Take her to the doctor then if you are so concerned."

"Fine, I'll set an appointment tomorrow then."

The conversation had ended but in Zoe's mind it wasn't over. The thought of what it could be was on her mind the remaining of the party.

* * *

As the girls slept in Hannah's room, Zoe sat on the couch with Dan as they watched "You've Got Mail". Her head rested on his shoulder as she tried to watch the movie. Dan could sense that something was wrong by the tense muscles in her shoulders.

"Zoe it's nothing." He said.

"Hmm?" she asked naively.

"You know what I'm talking about. There is nothing wrong with Hannah."

"If only I could believe that." She said, "I just know there is something."

"You aren't going to get any sleep tonight with you thinking about this."

"It comes with the job of being a parent, Dan."

* * *

"I'd like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ratcliff." Zoe said.

"For whom is this appointment for, madam?" the receptionist asked over the phone.

"Hannah Woodall."

"When would you like to schedule an appointment?"

"Do you have any openings for today?"

"We had a cancellation for 1:30 if you'd like that time."

"Okay, that sounds great, thanks."

"We'll see you then."

* * *

"Aunt Zoe, I don't want to go to the doctor!" Hannah complained.

"Hannah, you need to go, I need to know why you keep doing what you are doing." Zoe said, as they both headed out the door.

"Then I'll stop, just please don't make me go!" she begged.

"Hannah, stop it. Just get in the car."

Hannah climbed to her seat and Zoe slid into hers. They buckled their seat belts and backed out of the driveway to where Zoe hoped she could find some answers.


	4. Doctor's visits and fashion

"We can't find a thing wrong with her." Dr. Ratcliff said.

"What? Then why does she keep blinking and making noises?" Zoe asked, getting frustrated.

"We think it maybe something neurological, so we are referring her to a neurologist."

"A neurologist?" Zoe exclaimed in a hushed tone as to not worry Hannah in the next room. "What do you think it is? It isn't something life threatening or anything?"

"It's not life threatening. It's probably just a simple childhood tic."

"A tic? Explain that to me."

"Involuntary twitching, blinking and sometimes, like with Hannah, vocal sounds. It's actually more common than people think. Does Hannah have any problems in school?"

"No, never, she's always been great at school."

"Well, that's good, usually when there is a childhood tic there is something else going on, like attention deficit disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. Have you noticed any obsessive habits with her?"

"No, not that I can think of." Zoe said.

"Alright, well, let me get you that referral and I want you to set up an appointment soon so we can get to the bottom of what is going on." Dr. Ratcliff said.

"Okay, I'll do it when we get home."

As Zoe and Hannah were leaving the doctor's office, Zoe noticed Hannah blinking excessively and thought about the possibility that her niece may have something wrong with her. It broke her heart to think that, but what could she do?

The doorbell rang and Zoe knew it was going to be Dan, so she yelled from the couch for him to come in. The door opened and closed and Dan appeared in the living room.

"So, what's up with Hannah?" he didn't waste any time getting to the point of his visit.

"The doctor said nothing is physically wrong with her. He referred me to a neurologist."

"I always thought you needed your head checked out." Dan joked.

"Dan, by me I mean Hannah."

"Oh…well, what for? Is it something serious?" Dan asked concerned, taking a seat next to Zoe on the couch.

"He said it was a childhood tic and that that's all it could be or it could be more."

"Like what?"

"Well, I did some research on the Internet about tics and it's most commonly associated with Tourette syndrome. So I guess, she is being tested for Tourette's."

"I thought that was that swearing thing."

"Swearing can be considered a tic for Tourette's, but it's not that common. Blinking is one of the more common tics." Zoe informed him.

"Well, at least you know it's nothing too bad." Dan said, trying to comfort Zoe.

"Dan, what if she's made fun of for it. That's the worst thing that can happen and I don't' want to see Hannah go through any pain."

"Kids will be kids. She may get picked on, but everyone got picked on at some point in their life. I was beat up in high school because I had no fashion taste."

"You still don't" Zoe said, playfully hitting him.


End file.
